There are growing calls to close the Northern Territory's borders to prevent the spread of coronavirus before it is too late.
Aboriginal health groups want the whole of the Territory as well as central Australia and regions like the Kimberley and Cape York designated as COVID-19 Special Control Areas.
There has been only one confirmed case of COVID-19 in the Territory, and that was a Sydney tourist.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner has told media the idea of closing the borders is "still on the table".
It follows a statement from Katherine Mayor Fay Miller earlier this week who has gathered massive social media support for her call for the NT Government to act more swiftly to protect Territorians.
Mayor Miller said: "The Territory is moving far too slowly on this matter."
"The NT borders need to be closed to reduce the risk of a spread," she said.
"We only have one case here, but if it gets into our communities it could wreak havoc."
Mr Gunner says his current focus is on limiting travel to remote communities without impacting interstate freight supplies but says he is not ruling out more severe travel restrictions.
"There is significant complexity in how you would even manage this, or if you could even lawfully do it, so for me my focus right now, priority right now, is protecting our remote communities and we are doing that, and that may be sufficient, but I believe you do whatever it takes."
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According to the recommendations, police or the Australian Defence Force, working with local Land Council rangers, would be deployed to monitor the movement of people in and out of these areas.
"If this virus gets into Aboriginal communities, it will be absolute devastation, absolute devastation without a doubt," Pat Turner, the CEO of the National Community Controlled Health Organisations, said.
There has been little information from authorities on how the NT intends to roll out health support in regional areas.
Meanwhile, the NT Greens has called for a delay to the 2020 deployment of the USA Marines Rotational Force to Darwin, in light of the declaration of Human Biosecurity Emergency.
More than 2000 US Marines are due to arrive in a few weeks.
Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
